Michigan Senate panel to debate sex offender fee

People on Michigan's sex offender registry would have to pay a yearly fee under a bill a Senate panel will debate this week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to take up the bill Tuesday. It would require offenders who are not in prison to pay an annual $50 fee instead of a one-time $50 registration fee.

Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge is the bill's sponsor. He says offenders have "put themselves in this special club, so they need to pay a membership fee."

The Senate Fiscal Agency says it would increase annual revenue from fees from $160,000 to $700,000. It says it costs the state $1.2 million to operate the registry each year, $600,000 of that is used to maintain the database.